Monday, September 4, 2017

That side part, though: Tom Brosseau

Since my last time checking in with Tom Brosseau, he's recorded an album with the great John Parish [as was the case with 2007's Cavalier], continued making appearances in Santa Monica rather than more centrally located venues in Los Angeles, and, ah, released a couple more records. He's got precisely one nostalgic style to stick to; if he had any ounce of sex in him he might've been Jeff Buckley, but there's none, and so he's nothing more than a wholesome face with a God-fearing voice that might've made you ask, at some point, the big Holly Golightly question: Is he or isn't he? After a dozen releases, it's plain that he really is this pure.

Treasures Untold is a live set recorded in Köln, originals as well as classics by folks like Jimmie Rodgers and of course, Hank Williams. And some of the dialogue here illustrates perfectly how well he's studied his heroes in order to replicate their spirit. Including the occasional yodel. He's an odd fit for any scene in his home of nearly fifteen years, but it's awfully nice to run across an odd fit now and then.